There is now a body of evidence that metalloproteases (MP) are important in the uncontrolled breakdown of connective tissue, including proteoglycan and collagen, leading to resorption of the extracellular matrix. This is a feature of many pathological conditions, such as rheumatoid and osteoarthritis, corneal, epidermal or gastric ulceration; tumor metastasis or invasion; periodontal disease and bone disease. Normally these catabolic enzymes are tightly regulated at the level of their synthesis as well as at their level of extracellular activity through the action of specific inhibitors, such as alpha-2-macroglobulins and TIMPs (tissue inhibitors of metalloprotease), which form inactive complexes with the MP's.
Osteo- and Rheumatoid Arthritis (OA and RA respectively) are destructive diseases of articular cartilage characterized by localized erosion of the cartilage surface. Findings have shown that articular cartilage from the femoral heads of patients with OA, for example, had a reduced incorporation of radiolabeled sulfate over controls, suggesting that there must be an enhanced rate of cartilage degradation in OA (Mankin et al. J. Bone Joint Surg. 52A, 1970, 424-434). There are four classes of protein degradative enzymes in mammalian cells: serine, cysteine, aspartic and metalloproteases. The available evidence supports that it is the metalloproteases which are responsible for the degradation of the extracellular matrix of articular cartilage in OA and RA. Increased activities of collagenases and stromelysin have been found in OA cartilage and the activity correlates with severity of the lesion (Mankin et al. Arthritis Rheum. 21, 1978, 761-766, Woessner et al. Arthritis Rheum. 26, 1983, 63-68 and Ibid. 27, 1984, 305-312). In addition, aggrecanase has been identified as providing the specific cleavage product of proteoglycan found in RA and OA patients (Lohmander L. S. et al. Arthritis Rheum. 36, 1993, 1214-22).
Therefore, metalloproteases (MP) have been implicated as the key enzymes in the destruction of mammalian cartilage and bone. It can be expected that the pathogenesis of such diseases can be modified in a beneficial manner by the administration of MP inhibitors, and many compounds have been suggested for this purpose (see Wahl et al. Ann. Rep. Med. Chem. 25, 175-184, AP, San Diego, 1990).
Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) is a cell-associated cytokine that is processed from a 26 kd precursor form to a 17 kd active form. TNF has been shown to be a primary mediator in humans and in animals, of inflammation, fever, and acute phase responses, similar to those observed during acute infection and shock. Excess TNF has been shown to be lethal. There is now considerable evidence that blocking the effects of TNF with specific antibodies can be beneficial in a variety of circumstances including autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (Feldman et al, Lancet, 1994, 344, 1105) and non-insulin dependent diabetes melitus. (Lohmander L. S. et al. Arthritis Rheum. 36, 1993, 1214-22) and Crohn's disease (MacDonald T. et al. Clin. Exp. Immunol. 81, 1990, 301).
Compounds which inhibit the production of TNF are therefore of therapeutic importance for the treatment of inflammatory disorders. Recently, TNF-α converting enzyme (TACE), the enzyme responsible for TNF-α release from cells, were purified and sequenced (Black et al Nature 1997, 385, 729; Moss et al Nature 1997, 385, 733). This invention describes molecules that inhibit this enzyme and hence the secretion of active TNF-α from cells. These novel molecules provide a means of mechanism based therapeutic intervention for diseases including but not restricted to septic shock, haemodynamic shock, sepsis syndrome, post ischemic reperfusion injury, malaria, Crohn's disease, inflammatory bowel diseases, mycobacterial infection, meningitis, psoriasis, congestive heart failure, fibrotic diseases, cachexia, graft rejection, cancer, diseases involving angiogenesis, autoimmune diseases, skin inflammatory diseases, OA, RA, multiple sclerosis, radiation damage, hyperoxic alveolar injury, periodontal disease, HIV and non-insulin dependent diabetes melitus.
Since excessive TNF production has been noted in several disease conditions also characterized by MMP-mediated tissue degradation, compounds which inhibit both MMPs and TNF production may also have a particular advantage in diseases where both mechanisms are involved.
EP 0,780,286 describes MMP inhibitors of formula A: wherein Y can be NHOH, R1 and R2 can combine to form a cycloalkyl or heterocyclo alkyl group, R3 and R4 can be a variety of groups including H, and R5 can be substituted aryl.
WO 97/20824 depicts MMP inhibitors of formula B: wherein ring V contains six atoms, Z is O or S, and Ar is an aryl or heteroaryl group. Ar is preferably a monocyclic aryl group with an optional para substituent or an unsubstituted monocyclic heteroaryl group.
EP 0,818,442 illustrates MMP inhibitors of formula C: wherein Ar is optionally substituted phenyl or naphthyl, Z can be absent and X and Y can be a variety of substituents. Compounds of this sort are not considered to be part of the present invention.
The compounds of the present invention act as inhibitors of MPs, in particular TNF-α, MMPs, and/or aggrecanase. These novel molecules are provided as anti-inflammatory compounds and cartilage protecting therapeutics. The inhibition of aggrecanase, TNF-C, and other metalloproteases by molecules of the present invention indicates they are anti-inflammatory and should prevent the degradation of cartilage by these enzymes, thereby alleviating the pathological conditions of OA and RA.